Israel says it has recovered the bodies of 2 Israeli-American hostages from the Gaza Strip
Israeli strikes overnight and into Thursday meanwhile killed at least 13 people, including three local journalists who were in the courtyard of a hospital, according to health officials in the territory. The military said it targeted a militant in that strike.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel in a special operation by the army and the Shin Bet internal security agency.
'Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. Our hearts ache for the most terrible loss. May their memory be blessed,' he said in a statement.
Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 72, both of whom had Israeli and U.S. citizenship, in December 2023. Weinstein was also a Canadian citizen.
The military said they were killed in the Oct. 7 attack and taken into Gaza by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that it said had also abducted and killed Shiri Bibas and her two small children. The army said it recovered the remains of Weinstein and Haggai overnight into Thursday from the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis.
The couple were taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of Oct. 7 when Hamas militants stormed across the border and rampaged through several army bases and farming communities.
In the early hours of the morning, Weinstein was able to call emergency services and let them know that both she and her husband had been shot, and send a message to her family.
Weinstein was born in New York and taught English to children with special needs at Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small community near the Gaza border. The kibbutz said she also taught meditation techniques to children and teenagers who suffered from anxiety as a result of rocket fire from Gaza. Haggai was a retired chef and jazz musician.
'My beautiful parents have been freed. We have certainty,' their daughter, Iris Haggai Liniado, wrote in a Facebook post. She thanked the Israeli military, the FBI and the Israeli and U.S. governments and called for the release of all the remaining hostages.
The couple were survived by two sons, two daughters and seven grandchildren, the kibbutz said.
At least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Yunis overnight, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. It was not immediately clear if the strikes were related to the recovery mission.
In Gaza City, three local reporters were killed and six people were wounded in a strike on the courtyard of the al-Ahli Hospital, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It did not immediately identify the journalists or say which outlets they worked for.
The Israeli military said it struck an Islamic Jihad militant operating in the courtyard. The army says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it is embedded in populated areas.
Over 180 journalists and media workers have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the vast majority of them in Gaza, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Israel has said many of those killed in its strikes were militants posing as reporters.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. They are still holding 56 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages from Gaza and recovered dozens of bodies.
Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to broker another ceasefire and hostage release after Israel ended an earlier truce in March and imposed a blockade that has raised fears of famine, despite being eased in recent weeks. But the talks appear to be deadlocked.
Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. It has offered to hand over power to a politically independent Palestinian committee.
Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying Israel will only agree to temporary ceasefires to facilitate the return of hostages. He has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile.
He has said Israel will maintain control over Gaza indefinitely and will facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population to other countries. The Palestinians and much of the international community have rejected such plans, viewing them as forcible expulsion that could violate international law.
Lidman, Melzer and Shurafa write for the Associated Press. Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel and Shurafa from Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip. AP writer Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.
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The Hill
9 minutes ago
- The Hill
White House plays whack-a-mole with Epstein reports
Happy Wednesday. If you listen carefully, you can hear senators and staffers singing a lament as the House splits early for the August recess. In today's issue: Trump unveils AI plan White House responds to latest Epstein story Administration will answer questions at 1 p.m. Republican leaders eager to leave town Democrats disagree on shutdown strategy 🤖️ IN THE WHITE HOUSE 'Hey, look at this shiny thing over here!': It's all about artificial intelligence (AI) at the White House today. The Trump administration released its AI Action Plan. President Trump will then give a keynote address later today at an AI summit. 💻 Watch Trump's 5 p.m. remarks Let me walk you through this 'AI Action Plan': It would scale back regulation of technology to make the U.S. the global leader in AI. The plan has three pillars: 1. Boost American innovation 2. Build out data center infrastructure 3. Promote American technology abroad This should give the Trump team a welcome distraction from the unrelenting news surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein saga. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has a press briefing scheduled for 1 p.m., when we can expect lots of questions about Epstein. There could be some fireworks. 💻 Watch it live CNN dug up some new photos of Trump and Epstein together: CNN's Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck uncovered more photos and video footage highlighting President Trump 's past relationship with disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. First: The investigative journalists found photos of Epstein attending Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples, noting 'Epstein's attendance at the ceremony at the Plaza Hotel was not widely known until now.' Second: They found raw footage of Trump and Epstein laughing and talking at a 1999 Victoria's Secret fashion event. 📹📸 See the photos and footage What did Trump have to say about the reporting?: 'In a brief call with CNN on Tuesday, President Trump, asked about the wedding photos, responded, 'You've got to be kidding me,' before repeatedly calling CNN 'fake news' and hanging up.' His communications director, Steven Cheung, gave CNN a statement claiming they were 'out-of-context frame grabs.' Cheung also reiterated that Trump 'kicked [Epstein] out of his club for being a creep.' 📹 Watch Kaczynski discuss the new reporting on 'Erin Burnett Out Front' 💡 Why this matters: These are not the first photos of Trump and Epstein together. But the trickle of new reports about Trump and Epstein's past relationship is forcing the White House to spend time explaining the dynamics. 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Axios
9 minutes ago
- Axios
Iran worries U.S. will use nuclear talks as pretext for new attacks: Senior official
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Boston Globe
9 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Gabbard releases new documents targeting Obama administration
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